Interview: Hiphop artist Mr Smith from Plain City OH

May 3, 2018

Mr Smith is an independent music recording artist from Plain City, OH. Throughout his journey so far, Mr Smith has released several tracks and mixtapes across the web. Which led him to get viewed by various audiences.

How long have you been in the music business and how did you get started in the first place?

Mr Smith: Well I’ve always had a way of writing things down. I enjoyed writing stories, and I’ve always loved music from the start. So I decided why not write some rhymes. So from there, about two years ago I started releasing music publicly.

Who were your first and strongest musical influences that you can remember?

Mr Smith: Well Eminem was always the most influential. But, I grew up listening to all types of music. Eminem was the most memorable for me growing up.

Which artists are you currently listening to?

Mr Smith: G-Eazy, Eminem, Meek Mill, Lil Skies, Machine Gun Kelly

What do you feel are the key elements people should be getting out of your music?

Mr Smith: I don’t know, I mean my music is about past things I went through and things I’m still going through now. Hopefully they can listen and relate to it in a way.

What do you think separates you from the crowd of artists emerging right now?

Mr Smith: Well, since I started publicly releasing my music, I do all of my music videos, I record and edit all my music, I promote myself pretty much. I do everything. My style for my music sounds completely different from the rest. I’m out here grinding like the rest. But I’m doing music full time and working a regular job.

Do you have a song in your catalog that is very special to you in some way, and why?

Mr Smith: My latest release called ‘Victim’. It’s pretty much about feeling like everyone hates you for no apparent reason. We all know some people can be harsh. It pretty says that, you need to stop and think about how you treat others. It’s always about positive vibes. You should never treat someone badly just because you don’t like them or like what they are doing. And you never know what they may have going on in their life.

Are your lyrics predominantly based on real events and personal experiences, or are they drawn from your creative storytelling skills?

Mr Smith: It’s kind of a mix. I’d say the majority of my work is personal. The rest is all creative. I just write about what comes from the heart.

What would you consider a successful, proud or high point in your career so far?

Mr Smith: I’d have to say, receiving my first paycheck from my music. I already feel like I’ve done everything I set out to do. Whatever happens from here is a bonus.

What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music so far?

Mr Smith: Knowing that not everyone will like/love your music. And coming up in the music industry isn’t as easy as people think.

What key ingredients do you always try and infuse into your songs, regardless of style or beat?

Mr Smith: I want each of my songs to have that raw, natural/real feel to it. I just want to be myself on every song.

Do you also produce the beats and write all the lyrics on your songs or do you collaborate with outside sources in any of these cases?

Mr Smith: I do have some songs I produced completely. And I wrote all the lyrics. But most of my songs right now are produced from other producers.

Which aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process excites you most and which aspect discourages you most?

Mr Smith: I mean I get excited over a couple views. Or a few likes. Haha. But knowing other people are out there listening to you is priceless. The discouraging side is that it literally takes time and patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and my brand won’t be built in a day. Only time will tell.

How do you market your music? Do you have a team to help you or do you do and control everything by yourself?

Mr Smith: I advertise my music on social media. Right now it’s completely me and my social media posts. But hopefully in a few weeks I will have a more professional deal.

If you had the opportunity to change one thing about how the music business works right now, what would that be?

Mr Smith: Bad criticism. I think that people make others look worse then what they actually are. I feel like because of that, some artist are struggling while other artists strive because of it.Music is music in my opinion.

If someone has never heard your music, which keywords would you personally use to describe your overall sound and style?

Mr Smith: Hip-hop, Laid-back, LoFi type rap.

Do you consider Internet and all the social media websites as fundamental in building a career in music today, and what is your personal relationship with the new technology at hand?

Mr Smith: Well nowadays social media is key to promoting today’s music. The internet in general, everywhere you go online, you will see at least a few ads about music. Without social media, I wouldn’t have any listeners.

Tell us something about your latest release and where fans can find it.

Mr Smith: My latest release is called ‘Victim’. The track itself is on my SoundCloud (Free to download), And the official music video is on my YouTube.

What is your relationship with visual media? Do you think videos are important for your music? Do you have a video you would recommend fans checkout?

Mr Smith: I took a filming class in high-school and I’ve always loved movies. It’s important to me because I like to incorporate a movie style scene for each of my music videos. It gives it a more in depth feel. Check out my latest music video ‘Victim’.

Do you prefer working and creating in a studio environment, or performing live in front of an audience?

Mr Smith: I’m use to performing in a studio environment. But performing live will open up greater opportunities.

What’s next on the upcoming agenda for Mr Smith?

Mr Smith: Right now I am in the studio creating new content as well as new music videos. I plan on releasing a mixtape sometime this summer and an album sometime at the end of this year.